


The Café Nomica

by Readerofmuch



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Baked Goods, But this is a one shot and I don't feel like tagging like fifteen characters who each have a cameo, Fluff, Multi, Service Dogs, The rest of the ensemble is also there, enough baked goods and fluff to cause serious health hazards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-26 14:25:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18181772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Readerofmuch/pseuds/Readerofmuch
Summary: The Café Nomica was not Starbucks. The chalkboard behind the counter proclaimed this proudly, alongside the drink of the month (the cupid cappuccino). Aubrey had added flame decals. Someone (probably Dani) had added flowers and hearts to the bottom. Duck knew he spent too much time there if he was able to identify employees by chalk art. However, he was also a full-grown adult who did what he liked with his time. Besides, Beacon was a fan of the place. So what if he had a little crush on one of the other regulars? That was nobody's business but his own.





	The Café Nomica

The Café Nomica was not Starbucks. The chalkboard behind the counter proclaimed this proudly, alongside the drink of the month (the cupid cappuccino). Aubrey had added flame decals. Someone (probably Dani) had added flowers and hearts to the bottom. Duck didn’t need to look at the menu, really, but it gave him something to do while he was waiting in line.

In front of him, Jake Coolice took a steaming cup of mystery from Dani. She didn’t call the drink, only smiled.

“This should help you feel more tubular.”

Beacon tugged at the lead beside him and Duck stepped forward. "Hello, Ranger Duck! Can I interest you in our drink of the month?"

Ned Chicane, owner of the cafe Nomica, grinned at Duck from behind the cash register.

"Oh, hey Ned. Not today, thanks. I'll just get the uhhh- whatsit, the caramel thing? A medium, please. And one of Aubrey's peanut butter pet things."

"Can do, friend. For here?"

"Yeah, 'course."

Duck paid, mostly avoiding Ned's attempts to upsell him. He did wind up with an unintended snickerdoodle but that wasn't so bad, really. Aubrey waved at him from behind the counter, and he smiled at her.

The table in the corner wasn't too far out of the way. His back was to the wall, so he could see the whole cafe, and the window beside him gave Beacon something to do. Beacon had been trained as police dog, even if it hadn't worked out, and he liked knowing what was going on. They had that much in common.

Beacon nudged his hand and Duck realized he'd gotten lost again.

"Thanks buddy," he said, giving Beacon a scratch behind the ears.

He sat down and tried to remember how to be a person. He needed to start his work, but his drink wasn't here yet and he didn't want to have to stop. Beacon put his head in his lap and Duck breathed.

"Hey Duck!"

Aubrey grinned at him and Duck smiled. It was a genuine smile, which surprised him. She set a mug of hot chocolate in front of him.

"Hey Aubrey, how you been? Learned any new tricks?"

"I can pull cards out of Doctor Harris Bonkers' ears now! But it makes him sneeze."

"Are they your flash paper cards?"

"...maybe. Anyways, moving past that definitely untrue idea, I have Beacon's brick. May I...?"

“Yeah, sure, he’s a big fan of the- what do you call it, the PBPB?”

“The Peanut Butter Pup Brick!”

Aubrey knelt and put the plate in front of Beacon. Duck patted his dog on the head and Beacon started in on the treat.

He just had to time it right and...

"Hey Aubrey, you talked to Dani yet?"

THUD. Audrey's head smacked against the bottom of the table.

"HECK!"

Duck chuckled as Aubrey pulled her head out from under the table. Her pompadour was visibly dented.

"Sorry Aub, but I ain't wrong."

"Have you talked to Indrid yet?"

Duck's knee smacked the underside of the table almost as loudly as Aubrey's head had a few seconds before. Under the table, Beacon stopped eating and shifted to put his head into Duck's lap.

"Is he here?"

"I think he said he was working on a commission, but that's not the point. You definitely have a crush on the guy."

"Don't you have coffee you oughta be serving?"

Aubrey stuck her tongue out between her teeth.

"You're just sending me away because you know I'm right!"

"Yeah, yeah. Say hi to Dani for me!"

And just like that, Duck was alone again. He petted Beacon idly. After  few deep breaths, he gave Beacon permission to eat. His hot chocolate was, as always, perfect. He took another deep sip, only to nearly spit it across the cafe when in walked none other than Indrid fuckin' Cold. It would be a cold day in hell when he admitted it, but Aubrey was right: Duck had it bad. The skinny man was wearing a massive parka that couldn’t quite conceal the wool sweater poking out the bottom and his ever-present red mirrored sunglasses. He also had a… unique knit white bobble cap over his silver hair.

Duck looked out the window so that he wouldn't be caught staring at Indrid, only to see what appeared to be a bundle of walking coats walking past the window. The curious figure made their way across the front of the cafe Nomica slowly but surely. The pushed their way into the door and the gentle buzz of conversation hit a natural lull.

"Miss Janelle!"

Aubrey waved at the shrouded form of someone who was apparently Miss Janelle. Indrid fumbled his wallet, only barely keeping it from the damp, salty floor. He seemed to make it through the rest of the transaction without any fuss, at any rate and Duck deliberately looked out the window rather than watching Indrid sit down. A large, muscular man with sideburns was walking a very small dog in a sweater across the street. Duck smiled despite himself. He bent to give Beacon a scratch behind the ears.

"You're really enjoying that, huh?"

Beacon snuffled without looking up from his plate. It was only when he pulled himself out from under the table that Duck noticed that he was not alone at his table.

"Please don't panic, I mean you no harm," said Indrid.

"That sounds exactly like someone who means me harm would say," said Duck, before he could think.

Indrid laughed too loudly and picked up the snickerdoodle on the table.

"So Indrid, what can I do you for?" asked Duck. Under the table, he could feel Beacon putting a paw in his lap. He set his hand against it, acknowledging the cue.

"Well my old boss just walked in here and I'm rather hoping I don't have to speak to her. She's rather... strict. I thought that if I were with someone..."

"Say no more," said Duck. "Although I do think that used to be my snickerdoodle."

Indrid blushed as red as his glasses.

“I’m terribly sorry. Here, take this. It seems to suit your drink better anyways.” 

Indrid pushed a caramel brownie towards Duck, who smiled. 

“So Indrid, you’re some kind of an artist, yeah?”

“Not by trade, but I do draw. Actually…”

Indrid pulled a sketchbook out of his bag. Beacon wuffled curiously at the bag next to him, but didn’t react. 

“If you look here….” he flipped the book open. Duck caught brief glimpses of the cafe, of Aubrey and Dani behind the counter, of Ned Fuckin’ Chicane before the page finally fell open on a page of his own face. Indrid yelped and flipped again, turning up a picture of Beacon. 

“I’m not usually much of a fan of dogs, but Beacon is quite something. How did you two end up together?”

“He was supposed to be a police dog, but he didn’t make it in the end. He helps me. Sometimes, I help him. He seems tough, but he really just likes having a person. You can pet him if you like.”

Indrid gave Beacon a good scritching and then both he and Duck laughed and Beacon’s tail battered them both. 

“I reckon he likes you,” said Duck.

“You really think so?” asked Indrid, sounding so helpful that Duck couldn’t help but laugh. 

Outside of his sightline, Dani and Aubrey fistbumped. 

The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur. Aubrey blanched at making Mama’s rocket fuel coffee in the background while Indrid explained why, exactly, his entire high school had been convinced he was the mothman. Ned flirted with Barclay, whose Canadian heritage made him the only person in Kepler who enjoyed a proper double double, while Duck expounded on the many reasons it was a remarkably terrible idea to try and feed a black bear leftover hot dogs as one particularly… interesting… group of tourists had done. Eventually Duck’s phone buzzed and they both realized how long it had been. 

“Thank you for saving me from my boss,” said Indrid. 

“Thanks for being such good company,” answered Duck, too quickly. They both fell silent for a moment. 

“I-” started Duck.

“I-” said Indrid at the exact same time in an unintentionally eerie unison. 

“You go first,” they said, again in unison. 

“I just wanted to say that I had a lovely time,” said Indrid at last. “I would… enjoy going out with you again. I don’t go out much but this was very enjoyable.”

“I think,” said Duck, “that I would like that very much.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! You can find the art for this piece here (LINK FORTHCOMING). You can find my lovely artist on tumblr at siiepii. You can also find me on tumblr under Readerofmuch, same as I am here.


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